Forced to use MDM solution now to deploy free apps

macrumors newbie

Apple has made a change to the VPP (Volume Purchase Program) that now requires the use of the MDM for free apps.

Here is the blurb from the VPP site:
"Free apps can only be managed with licenses: Free apps are only available in bulk using managed distribution. Assign apps to users on iOS 7 or later or on OS X 10.9 or later using a Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution. You retain ownership of apps only, allowing you to revoke and reassign them as needed."

On its surface this may seem like no big deal because presumably the user could just download the free app themselves without the MDM.

In reality this has the following effects:
1) Schools can not distribute free apps using Configurator. They would now need to go to each iPad and download the app to each iPad individually.
2) Free apps on the B2B program cannot be distributed using redemption codes.

Has anyone else been bit by this change?

How are you coping?

I am not a school, but this affects me because I deliver apps on the B2B store to clients that do not use the MDM and would be greatly burdened by using the MDM.

I have contacted Apple on several channels and am getting stonewalled on any meaningful actionable answer.

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